Nick St. Germaine, Woodmont Retirement Community’s Executive Chef, is emotionally distraught as the second anniversary of his wife’s death looms on the horizon. Troubled by nightmares and challenged by his son to move forward one day at a time, Nick is doing that, but just barely. He takes solace in early morning workouts at his gym, long runs and longer hours in Woodmont’s kitchen. An unexpected change in management brings a new Director, Amy Sommers, a beautiful, divorced nurse with little knowledge of the Food and Beverage business. Nick is quick to show his disdain for her, so much so that she comes close to showing him the door her first day on the job. Yet Amy is convinced to give him a chance to prove his worth and she soon finds out he’s an effective manager as well as a great cook with a tighly-knit, though overly protective kitchen staff. As Amy takes charge of the many facets of Woodmont, she soon realizes her greatest challenge lies in the broken heart of Nick St. Germaine.

With a supporting cast of quirky cooks, cranky widows, World War 2 vets and endearing octogenarians, Doughnuts for Amy is a six-course tasting menu of fork-tender romance and unexpected comedy that will have you asking “what’s for dessert?”

Reviews

“…the perfect combination of romance, food and wine! I hated putting this book down and looked forward to my opportunities to escape with Chef Nick.”

“Great for that long weekend at the beach!”

“…Malik serves the love hot, the anger at a boil, but the sadness and despair ice cold.”

“…will have you rooting for the good guy (and lady).”

“…Malik deftly combines the ingredients of love, loss, work and family and a cast of colorful seniors into a wonderful first novel. This book will appeal to everyone from hardcore foodies to those that enjoy a story that takes you from the depth of the loss of a loved one to the high of a new found love. Well done Chef Malik!”

“John Malik’s debut novel is both heartfelt and endearing. The cast of characters is charming, the settings realistic, the recipes fun, the food sounds delicious…I imagine he’ll just get better and better.
Warning – keep a tissue handy. There will be crying”

About The Author

Originally from New Orleans, author John Malik along with his wife Amy owned and operated 33 Liberty Restaurant in Greenville, SC from 2001 until 2008 and following that John was Executive Chef at two retirement communities in the Greenville area. John received a James Beard semi-finalist nomination for Best Chef in the Southeast in 2008. He was named to Who’s Who in American Barbecue by Bon Appetit Magazine and holds the whimsical title of Certified Kingsford Flame Master. While 33 Liberty was open John’s online essays on BBQ, peaches, kids, airplanes, dogs, root canals, dining with Sara Moulton and trading shots with Tony Bourdain were a highlight of the Southern food scene. He was a featured guest Chef at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Disney World; “Fixin to Eat” a Salute to Southern Chefs; Kaleidoscope Food & Wine Festival, Charlotte Shout!; Euphoria Greenville and the Epicurean Evening in Los Angeles, CA. He has been featured in Bon Appetit, Chile Pepper, Southern Living, Town, the Food Network, Fox & Friends and numerous newspapers and online media. John began writing stories for his Mom when he was in 5th grade. He can be found at www.chefjohnmalik.com and he blogs for the Huffington Post and Edible Upcountry. He has a Bachelor’s degree in English from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA. Doughnuts for Amy is his first novel.

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